Growing a Business with Culture in Mind, with Julie Lowe

Episode 17:

Julie Lowe has a knack for building strong partnerships with both internal and external clients and strategically recruiting for difficult-to-fill positions. Not only can she design and deliver an impeccable customer service program–she’s made it a daily practice.

Julie began her 20+ year career working in the hospitality industry. It was there that Julie found her passion for working with people to build their careers and grow the organization. This passion led her to work with a wide range of employers and clients, including Oakwood Apartments, Sheraton Hotels, The Cheesecake Factory, Transportation Security Administration (TSA)/Lockheed Martin, U.S. Army, and Aegis Defense Services, and for the past 7 years Julie has been a Vice President and most recently the Chief Culture Officer for TorchLight Hire, a leading staffing and recruiting agency in D.C. specializing in marketing and creative placements.

Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations/Journalism, with a minor in Psychology, from California State University, Long Beach. In her personal time, Julie is passionate about her family and local causes she supports such as affordable and inclusive housing for individuals with disabilities where she serves as a Director on the board of City Center NOVA, a non-profit organization in Virginia.  In addition, Julie is a facilitator for a support group for parents and youth for PFLAG in Alexandria.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • How Julie defines her role as Chief Culture Officer for TorchLight Hire, and how Julie’s job has developed since she was hired as the company’s second employee.
  • How the company naturally evolved to be woman-owned and operated, and how the company manages a strong culture while being 100% remote.
  • How culture is an important component of the hiring process at TorchLight Hire, and why the small company created a Chief Culture Officer position.
  • Why TorchLight’s intentional approach to culture is a powerful recruitment and retention tool to help Julie attract and keep talented employees.
  • Why strong communication, cross-training, and a focus on service are assets that help TorchLight navigate the complexities of their highly competitive industry.
  • What challenges, roadblocks, and obstacles Julie has faced during her company’s growth, and how she overcame them.
  • What best practices Julie uses to strengthen the culture at her company, and why having an approachable leadership team is necessary.
  • How Julie has kept up with changes within her rapidly-evolving industry, and how these changes have created new specialist roles.
  • Why each social media platform has a unique audience, and why TorchLight partners with their clients to better define what they are looking for in their recruiting.

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